#AsiaNow's Articles

Posted on 3/16/2017 8:16 AM By #AsiaNow

We’re ready to kick off AAS 2017 in Toronto and hope that everyone traveling today has a smooth journey!
Have you downloaded the conference app yet? Don’t forget to check out our list of 10 cool features the app offers!
Highlights of Thursday’s program:
The registration counters will open at 12:00 noon on the Concourse level of the Sheraton.
Film Expo screenings begin at 12:30pm in Maple West (Mezzanine Level). Please note that this is a change of location from what is listed in the printed program book.
At 6:00pm, Dr. Zhang Longxi of City University of Hong Kong will deliver the keynote address, “Asian Studies, Interdisciplinarity, and Comparative Work,” in the Grand Ballroom on the Lower Concourse.
Panels will start at 7:30pm. Tonight’s program includes a special roundtable for graduate students, “Beyond the Academy: Careers for Asianists,” in City Hall (2nd floor).
The graduate student reception will run from 9:30 to 11:00pm in Dominion Ballroo ...

Posted on 3/13/2017 1:40 PM By #AsiaNow

We first introduced an AAS conference app at the Chicago meeting in 2015 and have been working hard to improve it each year since. Thanks to everyone who has provided feedback on previous versions of the app—hearing from conference attendees is how we learn what about the app is useful and what we can make better in the future.
This year’s app, built using the Guidebook platform, is bursting with features that will enhance your conference experience. We’ve put a huge amount of information—about panels, exhibitors, meetings-in-conjunction, films, the weather, restaurants, and more—in the palm of your hand. The AAS app should be a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know while attending this year’s conference. Are we missing a feature? Let us know and we’ll see if we can add it to the 2018 app.
The AAS app is available in both desktop and mobile versions. While the desktop version has all the important menu items, the mobile app offers a couple of ...

Posted on 3/7/2017 10:45 AM By #AsiaNow

By Denise Ho, Margaret Mih Tillman, Brigid Vance, and Shellen Wu
One woman nearly broke down in tears as she described her travails attending a previous Association for Asian Studies conference as a new mother. At the time, AAS provided no nursing facilities during the annual conference. She could not find a place to pump in the conference space and in desperation had to track down and borrow a friend’s hotel room. Others had stories of their experiences doing research in Asia (where they were frequently asked, “Who is taking care of your husband!?”) and the difficulties women in particular encounter in doing fieldwork. Someone else mentioned the frustrations and lack of mentorship that come with working in departments of mostly older men. The outpouring of stories was a wake-up call and made us realize the real need for an advocacy group and network for women in Asian Studies. We hope to not only provide a forum to share our experiences and advice, but also to create a platform to push for ...

Posted on 3/6/2017 10:45 AM By #AsiaNow

AAS Member Harleen Singh, associate professor at Brandeis University, is the recipient of a Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowship for Recently Tenured Scholars. Dr. Singh will spend the 2017-18 academic year in residence at the National Humanities Center working on her research project, “Half an Independence: Women, Violence, and Modern Lives in India.”
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Eight AAS Members are among the 21 new fellows who have been selected by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations for the fifth cohort of its Public Intellectuals Program. Congratulations to Denise Ho (Yale University), Aynne Kokas (University of Virginia), Liu Sida (University of Toronto), John Osburg (University of Rochester), Johanna Ransmeier (University of Chicago), Maria Repnikova (Georgia State University), Shellen Wu (University of Tennessee-Knoxville), and Xu Bin (Emory University).
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Congratulations ...

Posted on 3/3/2017 11:00 AM By #AsiaNow

By Josh Fogel and Joan Judge
There are only a few weeks left before the AAS annual conference begins in Toronto on March 16. Five years ago, when our meetings were last held here, many people wrote to ask about things to do and places to eat. We responded in a catch-as-catch-can manner, but this time AAS Executive Director Michael Paschal has asked us to prepare something more organized. One thing to note: the weather here in March can be unpredictable, usually cold, around freezing, although five years ago it was in the low 20s C (around 70 F). The best advice is to assiduously check weather reports before packing.
The Sheraton Centre (note the alien spelling) Toronto Hotel, the conference venue, is located at 123 Queen Street W. As you go west from the hotel “Queen Street” becomes increasingly funky, Toronto’s answer to Soho: a number of unique shops and restaurants (although it is becoming gentrified). A fun place to stroll, shop, and eat, barring inclement weather. Incidentally, th ...